Vitellius Executed Creditors Demanding Repayment

According to Roman biographer Suetonius, Roman emperor Vitellius executed nearly every moneylender, contractor, and tax collector who had ever demanded that he repay a debt in Rome or pay a toll while traveling. Officials once recalled one such man's execution, prompting those present to praise the emperor's mercy. Vitellius instead ordered his men to kill the man in front of him, declaring that he wished to "feast his eyes."

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